Arguments of Celsus, Porphyry, and the Emperor Julian, Against the Christians Also Extracts from Diodorus Siculus, Josephus, and Tacitus, Relating to the Jews, Together with an Appendix

Siculus Diodorus

Best known for a sweeping history of the ancient world, this Sicilian writer tried to gather myth, legend, and recorded events into one vast narrative. His work remains one of the most useful surviving windows into Greek, Egyptian, and Roman traditions.

Flavius Josephus

b. 37

A priest, commander, and historian caught between Jewish resistance and Roman power, he left one of antiquity’s most vivid accounts of the Jewish–Roman wars. His works remain essential sources for understanding first-century Judea, its people, and its turbulent politics.

Emperor of Rome Julian

331–363

A philosopher-emperor as well as a ruler, he stands out as one of late Rome’s most unusual figures. His brief reign mixed military ambition, sharp intellect, and a dramatic attempt to revive traditional pagan religion in a changing empire.

Porphyry

A major voice in late ancient philosophy, this thinker helped preserve the ideas of Plotinus while shaping the study of logic for centuries to come. His works range from metaphysics and religion to ethics, making him one of the most wide-ranging authors of the Neoplatonic world.

Cornelius Tacitus

56–117

One of ancient Rome’s greatest historians, he turned political power struggles into sharp, unforgettable prose. His works still shape how readers understand the emperors, the Senate, and the uneasy balance between liberty and rule.